Rondale
Rondale is the capital and most populous city in the nation of Utopia. The rapidly-growing city is also the nation’s oldest. Once no more than a meeting and rest stop for Brian Black’s caravaning Progressive Thinkers Guild, Rondale has expanded and developed, making the city the first building block of what is today known as the great nation of Utopia. Rondale is home to many significant points of interest, including Utopia’s Capital Building, the Hotel Gentrieve, the Astral Clocktower, the Tinker’s College, the First Bank of Utopia, and Blackborough Marketplace. History When Brian Black’s Progressive Thinkers Guild first traveled to Guero, they established a small base of operations in the no-man’s lands between Symonia and Sivverlynn. While the guild was still largely nomadic, they were growing too rapidly to efficiently caravan all together. Mothers, children, and laborers would hang back in their base camp while Black and his tinkerers would travel to sell their wares and science lessons. The land, while somewhat of a grey area territory wise, was home to many indigenous races, including Human settlements, Halflings, both High and Dark Elves, and occasional raiding parties of Jeraki. Black and his underlings began hiring mercenaries to defend their base. The camp continued to grow at an unrivaled rate. With steam golems working around the clock to mine and build, it was not long before the Thinkers' camp became a town in its own rite. And soon after, a small city. Even to this day, Rondale’s population continues to grow. The city was named in honor of Ayric Rondale, Brian Black’s best friend and trusted right-hand man, who fell victim to disease during the journey to Guero. Though the charismatic young Brian Black had done his best to make a good impression on the leaders of Sivverlynn and Symonia, many citizens of each respective nation grew irritable with the Thinkers Guild and their growing city. The space between Sivverlynn and Symonia was intended as a buffer zone to allow animosity to settle after the rebellion of Kahl, and they believed Black’s followers to be an intrusion. The people of Rondale constructed a wall around the city to ensure their safety. As news of the budding utopia spread across the world, aspiring scientists and entrepreneurs flocked to the city and began spreading out in the adjacent lands, creating new cities and towns. The people of Rondale decided to name the developing nation after its perceived image. Unfortunately the influx of immigrants was too rapid to maintain any balance, and the illusion of a utopia began to fade, starting most prominently in Rondale. People who moved to the city found that work was extremely competitive and the opportunity and wealth they sought was not so abundant as they had been led to believe. Perhaps this growth of the lower class is what made Carter Flagg’s inventions such an influential part of Utopia’s history. The acclaimed scientist returned from his field studies in Sprillan with a new discovery: prosthetic limbs which could be controlled by thought alone, much the same as a real limb. Although his creation was originally intended for amputees, the upper class of Rondale began using the operation as a status symbol; it differentiated them from the poor. People used these artificial limbs to reflect their heritage in Utopia or to demonstrate their having overcome adversity. As technology advanced, the wealthiest of the wealthy transplanted their brains into mechanical beings and created their own elite class known today as the Ascended. After years of this continued trend, the political powers of Rondale began to shift. Because the affluent families were so easily identifiable, they began colluding to bribe and buy officials. Soon only the wealthy held places in office, and those living in poverty became even more neglected. As the division between the upper and lower classes grew wider, the Ascended took steps to keep themselves separate from beggars and vagabonds. Firstly, they invested in patrolbots to drive squatters and outsiders from the nice parts of Rondale. Next they leveled out a mesa in the bluff at the center of town, creating a new neighborhood which could only be accessed with a certain level of clearance. They built the nation’s capital building on this platform and equipped the rim with turrets for defense. This area became known as Acropolis, home to some of the most prosperous men and women in the world. The denizens of Rondale were feeling systematically oppressed. Many turned to lives as rogues. While there are countless other examples of organized crime, the most famous was led by a man who called himself the Kingpin. He was a man without mercy, an innovator who inspired both fear and love, but most of all he was a politician. While patrolbots were present in some towns in the city, other areas were riddled with poverty and essentially absent of law enforcement. It was these areas wherein the Kingpin deployed his goons to implement what became known as underlaw, a set of regulations with no legal validity but practical effect. The Kingpin’s reputation and wealth grew exponentially. Eventually a rival gang began to arise, built upon the same concept of underlaw. The Wolf Brigade was founded by Johaiya Gorsse (Human), Dell Kenneth (Human), and Coran Harmar (Dwarf), three escaped Sivverlynnian slaves. Contrary to the Kingpin’s tyrannical rulership, the Wolf Brigade led through loyalty, protection, and comradery. The rivalry escalated into daily bloodshed between the clans as the Wolves vied for power and the Kingpin worked to keep control. At the pinnacle of conflict, the Kingpin’s chief engineer Elran Gentrieve IV found an opportunity to make a powerplay. The ever observant Gnome could not help but notice the Kingpin’s fondness for sampling his supply of Wraithrose. With the assistance of some of his syndicate co-workers, Gentrieve poisoned the Kingpin's stash, killing the man overnight. Gentrieve assumed control of the gang and excommunicated those who aided his rebellion to keep his mutiny a secret. Years later Gentrieve confessed to his dethroning the Kingpin, claiming it to be one of his proudest moments, and even challenging those who disagree to try the same on him. Today, three prominent syndicates hold bases in Rondale. Elran Gentrieve IV renamed his gang the Hjimstypegn Clan after a Gnomish adage about turning a blind eye to a situation but retaining the information until it becomes useful. The name is given added meaning when considering Gentrieve is missing his right eye. The Wolf Brigade is now controlled by Jash Gorrse, Belohz Kenneth (whom inherited their positions from their late fathers), and Coran Harmar. The newest up and coming syndicate is the Honey Hatchets, run by Ivica Tori, a High Elf woman who was kicked from the Hjimstypegn Clan after helping Gentrieve undo the Kingpin. Some say that Reyn ‘The Weeping Widow’ Vance (Dark Elf) is cofounder of the Hatchets, though others believe her dead by Gentrieve’s hand after the Kingpin’s downfall. Either way, no one has seen the Widow since the rebellion. The Hatchets are a primarily female-employed gang with an emphasis on secrecy and discretion. Recent advancements in Rondale-based energy resourcing has effected some turmoil amongst the nations of Guero. A Utopian scientist named Martin Saxvillion made a remarkable breakthrough while studying the Jeraki and Ro Suk of Err Jerak. Saxvillion discovered that through a truly unique internal process, the Jeraki are able to sap and absorb the lifeforce of slain creatures. Further research, dissections, and experiments proved that this process was made possible through a peculiar element residing in the spittle of the Jeraki as well as an organ which processes the life essence. A Jeraki’s caustic spittle binds the life essence to the corpse. Upon consumption, the Jeraki’s gizzard-like organ refines and filters their sustenance, absorbing the lifeforce and nutrients, and disposing of the rest. Utopian scientists centered in Rondale found a way to emulate the Jeraki’s life harvesting technique and convert life essence into pure energy. The purple crystals which resulted from this process proved to be an extremely efficient and potent source of power for the city. However, the power plant required a large amount of real estate and vast quantity of the Jeraki saliva in order to produce enough energy to convert the city to this new source. As a result, Utopia turned the wall around Rondale itself into the powerplant and declared war on Err Jerak under the pretense that they desired to rid Guero of these barbarians and expand to the coast. While that may be partially true, Utopia’s genuine interest was in harvesting Jeraki spittle. After roughly a year of pressing the border, Utopia had gained no ground. Their closest allies, the High Elves of Sivverlynn, swore to the cause and marched their armies to the trenches. In defense of innocent and perhaps misunderstood Jeraki came the Dark Elves of Halign Mak’kai, whom also had a deep-seated hatred of the High Elves. Now the eastern half of Guero is locked in an unrelenting war, and the majority of present parties are unaware of why they are fighting. Today, Utopia has opened several other power plants across the nation. Prisoners of war and criminals sentenced to death power the nation with their lifeforce. The byproduct of the lifeforce power plants is a toxic ichor of death, which has collected around the walls of Rondale in a pool often referred to as the Ashen Moat. The city is only accessible via tram. People and Culture Although Rondale is comprised of quite a diversity of races, Humans and High Elves make up the majority of the population. Most prominent in political terms, however, are the Ascended whom control the law of the land, followed by the highly respected High Elves, then partially augmented members of other races. The Ascended are most commonly found living in Blackborough, though the most prestigious and affluent can afford homes on Acropolis. High Elves naturally make up the bulk of denizens of the Elven Quarter, though they remain present in all other towns excluding Acropolis. Rondale is also made up of Humans (be they Blutian, Kahlish, or Symonian in heritage) Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, and Siyokoy. Less frequent are handfuls of other races, including Dark Elves, Ventori, Acroninks, Rauoulfurs, and Ratmen. Each of these races can be found in any given town, though the latter list is often constrained into the worse parts of the city by social pressure, if not law enforcement. Public displays of religious or arcane practice are outlawed in Utopia. This does not stop people from worshiping or studying magic, but they are not topics openly discussed. Entering and leaving the city can be an arduous process due to the tram system. Because the wall surrounding Rondale is also a power plant, there are no breaks in the wall, making the tram or a private flying machine the only options for access or departure. Though the trams run quite rapidly, they can only fit a handful of people at a time, and traders often pay extra to take a car by themselves to move their goods to or from the city. As a result, there are often long lines to gain entry into Rondale, and all folks in line may be subject to customs, including questioning and bag checks. Rondale’s fashion is borrowed from High Elven and Symonian trends, though accented with their technological advances, creating an aesthetic all their own. Men wear leather boots, billowy trousers, vests with elaborate designs, and nice overcoats. Women typically wear high stiletto boots with wavy skirts or dresses. Men and women alike will wear fanciful hats, masks, and goggles. Piercings and body modifications are also quite common. People will replace appendages or full limbs with mechanical parts simply for the cosmetic appeal. Associates of the Wolf Brigade will dress in blue and silver or adorn wolf or bone imagery into their attire. The Blind Eyes carry the Hjimstypegn Clan sigil. Those who are particularly loyal to Elran Gentrive embroider EG4 or EGIV on their clothes. Ascended typically wear similar clothing to the upper class non-Ascended, though some choose to wear no clothing at all to show off their mechanical bodies. Others still build bodies which do not fit in normal clothing. They may customize clothing or go without. Organized crime is a more prevalent issue in Rondale than many other Utopian cities due to the conflict between all three prominent syndicates. Many citizens cry in outrage, incensed that the Ascended leaders are doing so little to subdue the situation. Others, however, are grateful for the syndicates who are the backbone of the common man's economy. Either way, the crime issues cannot be ignored. Drugs are rampant, murder is commonplace, and thievery is always a concern. Places and Points of Interest The Acropolis The Acropolis lies in the center of the city upon a natural bluff, which has been expanded through industrial means to allow for more residencies. The only entry escalator to the Acropolis is on the southern edge, where Utopians have constructed a three-tier, stair-stepped layering. Housing becomes more prestigious the higher one gets, though even the first tier represents an elite status. The gatehouse at the base of the Acropolis is heavily guarded. Ascended are free to come and go as they please. Any non-Ascended need a formal invitation from an Acropolis resident to gain access and must be escorted by a S.L.U.G. at all times, unless dismissed by a resident. The capital building lies at the northernmost, highest point of the Acropolis, behind which is a natural cliff face overlooking the Senate Gardens in Leyfield. Blackborough Blackborough is the financial center of Rondale. Located at the southern end of the city, the district contains the First Bank of Utopia, the Stock Exchange, Black Square, and the Blackborough Marketplace. Black Square is named for the black obsidian tiling and the massive statue of Brian Black. Housing in Blackborough is among the most expensive in the city, only outclassed by Acropolis, and they run more expensive the closer one gets to Black Square. Apartments in Black Square are more costly than housing on the outskirts near the wall. The streets of Blackborough bustle with business men and women and clatter with carts full of trade goods. The marketplace is busy day and night. Vagabonds, beggars, and rascals are mostly kept out of this part of town with the heavy presence of patrolbots, though some do manage to slip through. Located in Black Square, the Hotel Gentrieve is the go-to spot for visitors. The hotel offers a variety of room qualities at a wide range of costs. The nicest suites on the top floor can run for several gold pieces a night, though they offer a beautiful view of the city. Elran Gentrieve is never subtle about the syndicate-related goings-on within the property of the hotel, but he is smarter than to operate in public in Blackborough. The Hotel Gentrieve has a secret level which the Gnome uses as a base of operations. The embassies of Trakodo, Blute, and Symonia are all located in Blackborough. The Kahlish embassy is in a transitional stage, moving from Slag’s Rest to Blackborough, potentially as a result of recent trade agreements. Near the border of the Elven Quarter, toward the south end of the city, is a colossus of a building known as The Dragon’s Den Card House, Inn, and Resort. The Dragon’s Den, owned by a wealthy Ascended named Garv Gantzy, is a world renowned gambling center wherein people play cards, roll bones, and place bets on the stadiums. The Elven Quarter The High Elves have made a home for their customs and traditions within the walls of Rondale in the southeast district known as the Elven Quarter. Within the boundaries of the Elven Quarter, patrolbots are rare, as the High Elves prefer to protect the law using their own enforcers. They are more lenient with the homeless than the patrolbots, but aggressive behavior of any kind is dealt with swiftly. Trees and other vegetation line the streets, the prominent attire becomes decidedly High Elven, and the architecture shifts, alluding to an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Rondale. The Elven Quarter has its own prison and its own set of rules. While religious and arcane practice is outlawed throughout the rest of Rondale, there are sanctioned areas where specific forms are allotted. These places are namely the Hall of Li’ina, Syra’s Courtyard, and the Arcatarium. Because Rondale has granted the Elves their right to public worship, city officials have mandated likewise that the Elves uphold their own regulations upon this right. This means that the High Elves are responsible for penalizing anyone found performing prohibited rituals of either religious or arcane nature. The High Elves are gifted with medicine, and the Elven Hospital treats the vast majority of injury and illness cases within the city. So too are the Elves blessed with green thumbs, as demonstrated by the beautiful Ha’Moh Park and pond within their district. The spacious park offers a variety of plants, both local to Utopia and imported from Sivverlynn, as well as interesting fauna unlikely to be found elsewhere in Rondale. Any tourist to the city cannot call their trip complete without first visiting the High Market. This lavish plaza is the one-stop destination for the finest clothing and art, the choicest wine and tobacco, and the freshest fruits and vegetables. The strip of restaurants offer an authentic taste of High Elven cuisine. Sensibly, the Sivverlynn embassy is located in the Elven Quarter. Dyanae The southwestern district, known as Dyanae, was named for Brian Black’s sister, whom he claimed inspired him to pursue his passions. Dyanae is a mostly residential and recreational part of town, home to the upper-middle class, and those whom are looking to avoid the outrageous expenses or the noise pollution of Blackborough. Dyanae also hosts many families because it offers large houses and an acclaimed youth school. Patrolbots comb the streets of Dyanae as best as they are capable, but the region is large and open. Although reported crime is reasonably low, there is a pertinent vagabond population. Victor Greens, or simply the Greens, is the most significant aspect of Dyanae. The city-sponsored park is an ideal place for walks and picnics. The air carries the scents of fresh baked pastries and the sounds of busking street musicians. Irving’s Center for the Performing Arts presents high end entertainment. The Astral Clocktower is a three hundred foot tall pendulum, the swinging ball of which is made from a genuine chunk of meteorite. The Clocktower stands as an unmistakable symbol of all that Utopia has accomplished, and the achievements yet to come. Also a part of the Greens is the World Culture Museum. Eleuth Infamous for its libertarian denizens, the eastern district of Eleuth is the home to Rondale’s misfits. Eleuth’s are the people who cry for revolution, for freedom, and for power to the people. Those who feel subjugated and repressed move to Eleuth. Perhaps the line that reeled in so many likeminded people is the Xim’Rah School of the Arts, a private college which trains in both visual and performing arts. Patrolbots are scant and programmed for leniency because their operating systems are often unable to differentiate between beggars and true denizens. Most denizens have leniency for beggars anyway, who they feel are being systematically oppressed. As a result, homeless populations and crime rates are both quite high in Eleuth. In the shadow of the Acropolis is a collection of stands and tables where artists, tinkers, and vendors alike set up shop for a locally run flea market. Each stall is available to whomever claims it first, and some people will sell out of carts. The eclectic marketplace houses certain salesmen on a daily basis, and some who may show up once and never come back again. Although the flea market is not well known throughout the whole of Rondale, it is a favorite meeting place for the people of Eleuth. Towering in the center of Eleuth, seemingly a standing representation of that against which Eleuth’s own are so adamantly rebelling, is the Rondale Penitentiary. Criminals and vandals from all around the city and nation are cast into its walls, many never to see the light of day again. Eleuth calls out for fair trials, for liberation to find those who were wrongly imprisoned, but ultimately it is the Ascended who decide the fate of those thrown into the cells. Tinkertown Surely any non-Ascended citizen of Rondale will find themselves in Tinkertown on a weekly, if not daily, basis. It is the hub of all things commercial, the industrial heart of the city. Housing in Tinkertown is scarce, the real estate gobbled up by factories and businesses, but the majority of working class men and women make the commute here every morning. In addition to a bounty of workplaces, Tinkertown is made up of several other defining venues, including three stadiums, the Tinker’s College, and an expo hall. One stadium hosts primarily races, whether they be between horses, hounds, machines, or vehicles. The second presents pit fights composed of races, creatures, and devices from around the world. The third is a utility stadium which can be used for a variety of events. The Tinker’s College is an engineering, alchemy, medical, and otherwise scientific school intended for, as the name would imply, aspiring tinkers. The expo hall is a place for presenters to demonstrate their wares or breakthroughs. Tinkers and engineers from all over Utopia, sometimes elsewhere in the world, travel to Tinkertown for the National Utopian Patenting Bureau. The N.U.P.B. is the only place in Utopia to copyright a schematic. Approved designs are a sure sign of a fair fortune and protect against plagiarists. The Sprillan and Coalhearth embassies are both in Tinkertown. The Coalhearth embassy is burrowed into the cliff face of the Acropolis. Slag’s Rest When Brian Black first brought his following to the bluff in central Guero, he found an exotic flower. As the sun set, the bluff would cast a long shadow to the east, and these flowers grew in its shade, creating a field of flowers in the silhouette of the hill. Black’s smithing background led him to discover these flowers could be transformed into an effective flux to refine slag. He affectionately nicknamed the bed of flowers Slag’s Rest, and the name stuck. Though most these flowers have been wiped away to make way for infrastructure, one clump of these flowers can still be observed in Hilo Park. One can observe how the flowers close as the shade of the Acropolis hits them. Slag’s Rest is a run down neighborhood where housing is cheap. Most people surely wouldn’t choose to live in the district, but it is one of the few areas affordable for most working class incomes. Though Slag’s Rest is the smallest district in Rondale, it is heavily populated. As a result, the housing is condensed and layered to make space for the higher density of population. The streets are dirty and crime rates are high. The area is mostly neglected by the Ascended and their patrolbots. The Wolf Brigade has established a presence in Slag’s Rest, claiming it as their turf. Their men protect the denizens from rival gangs and criminals. Leyfield Before Rondale was built and flourishing, the area north of the bluff was a large grassy plain where the Thinkers Guild would let their pack animals graze. In those days, laborers often felt out of place or isolated around the Progressive Thinkers guild, so they would spend their nights here in the ley while the animals milled about them, blind of course to the foreshadowing they would represent. As the city grew into fruition, the former grassland became the most focused area of development. The naturally flat land made for a convenient starting point for infrastructure. Leyfield became laden with factories, businesses and housing. In those days, what is now Leyfield was the bulk of Rondale. The population boomed and workers grew more skilled, and it was not long before the city expanded and Leyfield was more or less forgotten. Tinkertown became home to businesses and factories, and the workers moved nearer to their jobsites. Blackborough became the market hub. Today Leyfield is but a shadow of its former self. The district is characterized by broken down abandoned homes. Leyfield, often referred to as the slums, is home of the homeless. Those who owned land have given it up to squatters. Those who are unfortunate enough to try to make an honest living in Leyfield double or triple lock their doors at night. Those who cannot afford locks set up traps or sleep in shifts. Toxic waste spills in through a crack in the wall through the northern boundary. The Ascended are all too conscious of the slums. They’ve built what might be considered a miniature forest to cover up their mess so that they can look down on Leyfield from the Acropolis and see only lovely trees. This park is known as the Senate Gardens. Notable Characters Timothy “Lucky” Irving, the first man to achieve Ascension, lives on the Acropolis, though he can often be found roaming around Blackborough or the Victor Greens in Dyanae. Another denizen of the Acropolis, Garv Gantzy owns the Dragon’s Den as well as several inns, taverns, and other businesses around the city. Though the busy Gnome bustles around any corner of the city, Elran Gentrieve IV of the Hjimstypegn Clan is based naturally in his Hotel Gentrieve. Jash Gorrse and Belohz Kenneth live in adjacent apartments in Black Square, while Coran Harmar lives in a small house in Slag’s Rest. Ivica Tori has a nice place in Dyanae, though few know about it. Those who don’t believe her dead claim that Reyn Vancse lives somewhere in the slums of Leyfield. Garuu’s Growery in Eleuth is home to Garuu, a Dendroid who provides the Elven hospital with many of its herbs. Taanyr Falamin and his family are one of the oldest and most influential High Elven families in Rondale. Melue’a Kranna is a High Elven priestess and activist who is pushing for religious freedom for Elves in the city. She worships Syra, the goddess of life and beauty. One powerful vigilante has made a name for himself by fighting both the syndicate and Ascended powers. He is a Human named Baldwin Acewood, though most just know the mysterious figure as the Runic Warrior because his skin is covered in rune scarification.